TOGETHER FOR AN AMBITIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

Climate, environment and greening. These topics feature prominently on the negotiating agendas. Government authorities, employees and employers need to work together to use the resources of our planet more sustainably. Fien Vandamme, environmental officer at ACV, advocates a fair and social transition. “We are depleting our planet’s resources. This must change. However, the cost of this transition should not be borne primarily by the weakest in society.”

You are environmental officer. What are your principal duties?

Vandamme: “Climate and the environment are topics I want to put on the agenda of the trade union negotiations in consultation with ABVV and ACLVB. We are joining forces, organising workshops and writing articles and  opinion pieces to draw attention to these subjects. I also support employee delegates who wish to address climate and the environment within their company. For instance, we have recently advised a company on the redevelopment of their car park. Together with employee delegates, we have developed ideas for lighting and charging stations for electric bicycles. The purpose was to encourage people to go to work by bike.”

In the environmental debate, the trade unions talk about a ‘fair transition’. What does this mean?

Vandamme: “Every scientific study tells us that we need to drastically change the way we treat our planet. A fair transition means that it is implemented in a fair and socially responsible way. The cost of this transition should not be borne primarily by the weakest in society. At ACV, we consider it our duty to strive for a fair transition and ensure that subsidies end up in the right hands. We are trying to achieve this both inside and outside the corporate context.”

Environmental issues are becoming ever more important. Do they belong to ACV’s core business?

Vandamme: “We have a great deal of expertise regarding various topics. As such, climate is not a separate issue. It is closely connected to numerous other projects we are working on, such as training and competitiveness. When sectors begin to feel the pressure of the climate transition, we need to come up with solutions or provide suggestions to employees and employers. The retraining of employees could be crucial in this respect.”

What role can ACV play in retraining employees?

Vandamme: “It is important to know what impact the new regulations and changing economic circumstances (will) have on our sectors and businesses. We map the organisations and employees that will be hit hardest by this transition. Real investments in the climate transition can provide a boost to many sectors and create lots of jobs. It is estimated that a policy which takes into account the climate challenges could result in some 80,000 new jobs by 2030[1]. It is therefore crucial that we retrain people into new, green and high-quality jobs. Take, for instance, the automobile sector: lots of employees will need further training to deal with the growing number of electric vehicles on our roads. After all, this electrification requires a new set of skills. ACV has an important task to fulfil in this respect.”

What tools do the delagates have within companies to make it possible to discuss this sustainable transition?

Vandamme: “The environment falls within the competence of the Flemish government. The VLAREM regulations contain a lot of provisions about the information we are entitled to within the scope of consultations between employees and employers. Some companies are obliged to hire an environmental coordinator, who will explain his findings and suggestions for improvement during the social dialogue. The ACV website even features an environmental page with all the relevant information as well as contact details of people you can send an email to if you have questions.

Can you give those who want to make a sustainable difference in their company any tips?

Vandamme: “Start small. Try to discuss and implement ideas and projects on a limited  scale first. This way, you create a sense of trust in your employer, so that they will be less hesitant to commit themselves to sustainability.”

[1] FPS climate change: The macro-economic impact of the transition to a low-carbon economy in Belgium. October 2016.